Mischief & Mistress
by ClaraStephens
Summary: Loki told Thor he would pay Jane Foster an unpleasant visit after their battle. When he arrives in Midgard after the fall he seeks out Jane but instead only discovers Darcy Lewis. Loki's visit to earth is going to be one hell of an experience, and none of his intentions are going according to plan. Darcy and Loki are alone in the New Mexico lab, and mischief is bound to happen.
1. Chapter 1

"_This is American Idol_!" Darcy Lewis said sitting down on the couch as her favorite TV show came on. She had been left alone at the lab for a few weeks now. It was lonely without Jane and Erik but at least now she had full power over the remote control.

Jane and Erik had been taken somewhere super secret and super scientific to do something for S.H.I.E.L.D. Darcy still wasn't entirely sure what the hell that meant but she did know it definitely did not involve her.

"Oh yeah, sing it babe!" she said as her favorite contestant came on the screen.

Just as he was beginning his song, Darcy noticed a bright light out of her peripheral vision. It was outside, not lightning, but much like…

"No way." She said as her mouth gaped open in shock.

She scrambled to turn off the TV and grabbed the keys to the van. She slipped into a pair of flats and hurried to the garage.

"You seriously could not have chosen a worse time to show up." She said to no one as she turned on the ignition.

Darcy followed the light in the sky. It was out in the desert, the same place as the last time Thor had arrived. As she sped closer and closer to the site of the last encounter the greens and blues in the sky became more and more vivid and she fumbled around in her purse with one hand searching for her phone. It rang and rang and rang. She got Jane's voicemail.

"Jane! Jane, hey! Okay so I think Thor might be back. That weird galactic light thing is happening again and I'm in the van driving towards the site. I just thought I should let you know! Call me back soon or I'll call you or something, okay, bye."

She was nearly there, just a few more miles probably. Her eyes shot out in all directions, hoping she could miss hitting him this time.

And then, she saw him. A dark figure attempting to stand a few yards off. She slammed on the brakes and flew the door open.

"Hey! It's Darcy, Darcy Lewis! Remember me? Uh, Jane's not here this time, but I saw the light show and I thought I'd…"

Wait a minute. That didn't look like Thor. _Oh no._

"Uh, hi, can you hear me?" she walked slowly now, slightly afraid of this mysterious stranger.

It was definitely a man. He was exceptionally tall with very light skin and obsidian black hair. Whoever he was he seemed to be very weak.

Just as he was nearly on his feet he collapsed again and Darcy let out a small scream.

"Okay, okay, you're going to be fine. Just let me…do something, um" She panicked, not knowing what to do with this stranger who most likely weighed a lot more than she did. She remembered Thor had just simply stood up and started walking around all crazy like, but this guy wasn't. She was suddenly afraid she might actually have to use CPR this time.

She crept towards him.

"Hey, can you hear me? My name's Darcy… are you hurt?" _stupid question, of course he is._

There was no answer. This was really_ really_ not good. She tried to calm herself down. If only Jane was here she'd know what to do…

Just when she had finally mustered up enough courage to get near to him he let out a small, injured moan.

"Oh, good you're conscious." she let out a sigh of great relief.

"Tell me your name, mortal." _Ouch. This guy's not friendly._

"uhm, Darcy, Darcy Lewis…and, you?" she said quietly, trying to hide the shake in her voice. Ugh, why did she have to come here alone!

"Then Darcy Lewis, suppress your fears. I am a God, and I am merciful to those who come to my aid."

"Okay…well that's really good to know." She said kneeling down to be closer to his side.

"Do you need anything? I've got those thick bandages in the van, and I'm pretty sure the first aid kit's still in there."

The god stared blankly at her, confusion written on his pale face_, what could this mortal girl possibly do to help a god? _

She reached a hand out towards his arm, she didn't know why she did it but she immediately regretted her action.

He hissed and she jumped back at his sudden anger.

"How _dare_ you touch me, you foolish girl!"

"You said you needed help, what the hell dude! You do realize that at this moment in time I am the one with the ability to walk away and let you rot here."

"I asked only for your help, I did not give you permission to prod me!"

Darcy sighed, anger boiling through her veins and making her face feel hot. She sat back and glared at him.

"Now, if you would be so kind, you have my permission to take my hand and help me to stand." He said.

"Seriously? That's what I was getting at before but you had to interrupt me with your lack of anger management. What sort of crazy god are you?"

"I am Loki, God of Mischief. And I have fallen from the Bifrost. I chose to land here, to see for myself what my oaf of a brother grew soft for. Thus far I see nothing greater here than in Jotunheim."

"That's great, you're a walking, talking hallmark card aren't you." Darcy replied sarcastically. It was doomed to be a _very_ long night. "You know that I gave up watching American Idol for this? And it was the second to last episode before the finale."

"I could really care less for your childish babbling, mortal." He said as he took her hand and slowly lifted himself to his feet. He showed a slight pained expression, but quickly resumed his 'I hate earth' face.

"Okay, you're definitely coming back to the lab with me. There is no way I'm letting you run free and burn the town down."

Loki sighed but didn't bother argue again with her. This girl may be a silly mortal, but she wasn't going to let him win very easily. He actually found it amusing, a Midgardian girl telling him what's what. But he would be caught dead to show it.

He had made it the van and she opened the door for him. He crawled inside and neither said a word until they reached the lab.

It was getting pretty late by the time Darcy led him into the wide and spacey living room. He sat down on the couch and showed no signs of moving for quite a while. _So much for watching Idol on TiVo_ she thought.

"So, I guess just don't touch anything that's unfamiliar to you, like Jane's computers and space tech stuff. You can crash on the couch, and the kitchen's over there if you want anything, although I don't recommend you improvise with the oven. I'm going to bed. We'll talk again tomorrow. If you're not here when I wake up I'm calling the cops." She tried her best to treat him as Jane and especially Erik would have.

Loki showed off a wide, beautiful smile at the end of her speech that made her heart skip a beat. She didn't know why but the way he was looking at her made her fingers shake a little bit.

She was only just now getting a clear look at him. Other than his black hair being pretty disheveled, he was actually more handsome to her than Thor. If only he wasn't so awful…oh she really needed to call Jane.

He watched her as she turned away from him and walked towards a door at the end of a hallway. When the door clicked shut, he smirked.

He was amazingly exactly where he needed to be. In Jane Foster's dear little domain. Thor's newest vacation home. And the god of mischief figured he could find some very amusing ways to wreak havoc until she returned. This Darcy Lewis would surely keep him entertained until then.

**Okay! So this is my first story for this strangely perfect duo and I'm really enjoying writing it! I'm setting it in between Thor and The Avengers. It's sort of like what happens while Loki's hair grows long haha if you like it please let me know so I can continue writing! **


	2. Chapter 2

"Jane! I am so so so happy I'm talking to you." Darcy said as she sat on the edge of her bed. She was trying not to speak very loudly for fear that Loki could overhear everything she was saying.

Jane was frantic. "Is Thor with you? Darcy, tell me everything that's going on out there."

"Well, um, it's actually not him."

Silence.

"What?" Jane was clearly not too excited anymore, now she was nervous. "Darcy, who else is in the lab with you?"

"Well, it's Loki, Thor's brother I think. And let me tell you this guy is _not_ a fan of your boyfriend."

Jane groaned, "Darcy, this is bad. Very very bad. He hasn't touched anything right? He's not blowing up my work or anything?"

"No, no, nothing like that…at least not yet anyway. We only just got back from the crash site an hour ago. He's on the couch in the living room. I don't know how long he's going to be here. I don't know what to do..."

"Darcy, listen to me. Make sure he doesn't mess with anything, okay? Just keep a close eye on him, take him with you if you have to go out. He's not a good guy. Erik's told me all about Loki from the books. Darcy, you have to be careful."

"I know, I know. Look I'm just going to try and get some sleep and hope the walls are still standing when I wake up. And Jane, hurry back, please."

"I'll see what I can do." Jane said, a nervous shake in her voice. "I just have so much work I have to get done here. Darcy, I'm relying on you to handle this until I can make it back. Okay?"

Darcy gulped; she suddenly realized she'd just been given the most extreme assignment she'd ever received. "I promise Jane, I'll do whatever it takes. Even if I have to sleep with my tazer."

"That's not a bad idea."

There was another pause.

"I've got to go Darcy, please, just be careful."

"I will. Bye Jane." She said heavily and she put the phone down, suddenly feeling very alone and tiny. What the hell was she going to do? The fucking god of mischief was yards away and she had to play babysitter.

She stood up and decided it was best not to dwell on things she couldn't change. _Best just put on pajamas and go to bed. I _will_ figure this all out._

* * *

The next morning Darcy awoke to the smell of something burning. She scrambled out of bed and made for the kitchen_. I take it he's recovered from the fall…_

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked groggily as she attempted to be fully awake. Loki was in the kitchen staring dumbfounded at the microwave. There was a very ominous looking black cloud emanating from it. She thanked god she woke up just in time before it caught fire.

Loki looked at her with a childish wide eyed innocence, still wearing his semi tattered leather from the night before. His hair seemed to be turning more and more disastrous every hour.

Darcy sighed trying to control herself. She walked over to the microwave and he stood back, waiting to see what she would do. "Alright, you seriously need to go shower, you look worse than me right now and you're a god. I'll take care of this mess."

"Of course, forgive my indecency." He said as he turned away from her and headed down the hall.

"And don't touch my electric toothbrush!" Darcy shouted after he'd closed the bathroom door.

After opening several windows and turning on the kitchen fan the black smoke seemed to finally be evaporating. She wasn't sure what had happened, there was nothing in the microwave. He must have just been bored. She wasn't sure how the lab was still going to be standing by the time Jane returned eventually.

In her head she was forming all of the things she would say to Loki when he came back. Things like 'microwaves aren't video games' and 'I told you not to touch anything.'

Just then he appeared again. He wore nothing but a towel. He was like a marble statue. Flawless. Not quite as buff as Thor perhaps, but certainly not weak either. His hair was wet and dripping and his face, his face was…

"Darcy Lewis, I am unsure as to what is appropriate for me to wear."

Darcy hardly heard a word he'd said, _that body_…She realized her mouth was hanging open, _stop staring Darcy_ "uh...uh…right. Yes, clothes, clothes are good."

There was a silence; she was still looking at him. What was wrong with her? Okay, no, nothing was wrong with her, the guy was freaking gorgeous. But she was acting like a total creep.

"So…" he asked, impatient and confused. Darcy looked at his eyes and they were piercing hers. Oh great, he's weirded out. _Way to go Darcy, you have successfully freaked out a god._

She gave in, there was no use trying to hide what just happened. "I'm sorry; I'm just not really used to being alone with ridiculously attractive guys. Here in Puente Antiguo we don't exactly get movie stars or anything. All the guys I've been around were kind of dorky hipsters."

The icy look in his eyes disappeared and was replaced with puzzlement. His hands dropped to his sides as if in defeat. Absolutely baffled. _Was she mocking him?_ _Was she being honest?_ He ignored the cultural reference and skipped straight to the main point.

"You find me physically appealing Darcy Lewis." She laughed, _was he blind?_

"Uh, yeah! Dude, have you really never looked at yourself in a mirror? Jeez, what kind of twisted world are you from?"

"Asgard." He said very matter of factly. "Where I am from everyone is enamored by my…brother. Thor was always the desire of the women there."

"Thor _is_ pretty cut, but you; you're more the dark and brooding kind of hot. Like, seriously you would make such a great slytherin badass guy in Harry Potter."

He stared blankly at her, trying to comprehend something out of her mess of Midgardian slang. _Did she honestly find him _that_ alluring?_ He wasn't sure whether or not he should feel thrilled that someone actually found him handsome or angry because he wasn't sure if she meant it. He decided to drop the subject, but he intended to keep a close eye on her from then on. This mortal girl may be silly and very obnoxious but she was the only person who had ever come straight out and told him to his face he was as eye-catching as Thor. This was a very new territory for him, and he wasn't sure if he liked it or found it odd. There had been several goddesses who found him attractive on Asgard but he was sure they were either just looking for fun or trying to get to Thor. But this girl seemed neither; she was flat out peculiar to him.

"Back to the subject I brought up initially. If I am to stay here in this realm I must look as though I belong here."

"What's wrong with what you have on now?" she smiled with a glint in her eye as she examined his toweled naked body.

"You are very much testing my patience Ms. Lewis." He said coldly.

"You're testing my resistance." She smiled jokingly. He wasn't amused. "Fine, Erik might have something you can wear until we get you some new clothes. Down the hall, first door to the left."

"Thank you." He said curtly, his lips forming a thin line as he set off past her. He made sure not to make eye contact with her as he glared forward towards the hall. What was it about this strange girl who seemed so confident with him? He thought lodging with her would be entertaining. The whole point was to ruin Jane's petty abode, instead he felt like he was having his soul probed by some insignificant tiny human. Him, the god of mischief and lies being played by a stupid girl. This shouldn't be happening.

As he sauntered off down the hall, he could feel Darcy's teasing grin burning the back of his head.

This time she was the one staring after him.

* * *

**Thank you to all of you who have read, liked, reviewed! Again I'm really enjoying writing this story. Poor Loki always has to live up to Thor, but not necessarily on Midgard! I already have a pretty clear idea as to where I'm taking this story, so keep reading and reviewing if thou like it! Much love! **


	3. Chapter 3

Loki returned to the main living room area of the lab wearing a pair of black pants and a green button down. Darcy couldn't help but laugh as he approached her, awkwardly trying to pull down the shirt sleeves. He looked completely ridiculous, everything was lopsided and uneven.

"Oh my god, we have got to go get you some new clothes, like, right now. Come on, you're coming with me." He didn't say a word as she led him outside towards the van.

As they sped along the road towards the nearest town with actual clothes stores she couldn't help but notice him staring at her. His face was contorted into a most perplexed look. Thinking about something obviously.

"uh, dude, are you even blinking? You're kind of creeping me out over there." She tried to hide her smile. It was hopeless.

"My apologies." He said abruptly as he turned his face away to look ahead at the road. Darcy still smiled.

"You were totally checking me out just now. Admit it." She said smugly glancing over at him.

Darcy could have sworn she saw a bit of color on his face when she turned back to look at him. _Smooth one god of lies _she thought.

"Do you think I'm bee-utiful?" she was definitely teasing him this time.

"You are laughing at me Lady Darcy. Do not think that I will treat you kindly after this. To laugh at a god is to…"

"Hey! Cut the superiority complex crap. Just chill out. All I'm stating is a fact, you were caught staring at me." The muscles in his face tensed as he continued to observe the road.

"Exactly how much longer am I expected to be in this preposterous chariot."

"Really? _Chariot_? First of all this is a van. And second we're almost there, so stop whining like a three year old."

"Are you always so forthright with everyone you encounter?"

"Usually, yeah. Welcome to the modern world!" she said winking at him.

Loki couldn't help but smirk at her last comment. He turned to study her again, as though she were a painting. There was something…intriguing about her. Loki had thought all the females on Midgard were dull and kind and quiet like Jane. But this girl, this girl could hold her own. On Asgard women would immediately turn away from him, expecting his tricks and pranks. They found him callous and too disgraceful. They found him unfit to be a king, and highly untrustworthy. Especially after the incident with Sif's hair. They were all fragile and shallow. But this girl didn't run away. She didn't turn up her nose. She played along. She had a quick tongue, and he liked it.

No. 'Like' was the wrong word. He didn't like anything about her. She had some fine qualities, _some_, but they weren't enough to make up for the lack of others. She did however have very nice lips and especially excellent round…

"Woah! Seriously? Dude, you're so staring at me! There is no way you can weasel your way out this time, I just caught you twice."

Loki sighed. He wasn't going to win. He thought carefully about his next words.

"You are…not like the ladies I am accustomed to."

"Yeah? Huh, what are they like then?"

"Most of them are rather fierce when I am near them. They do not much appreciate my talents."

"You're talents? Oh! Right you're the god of mischief and all that. Gottcha. Wow, sorry, I just had a mental moment. So what kind of naughtiness do gods get up to?" she asked with a playful wickedness. Loki was suddenly very much under the impression that they were not talking about his magic anymore. He played along.

"Would you like a demonstration?" he asked leaning in slightly close. His velvet voice nearly mesmerized her but the new proximity sent her heartbeat rushing. She'd never been so relieved to see a parking lot in her life.

"Uh, okay…we're here. Let's go make you more normal." Her voice shook as she quickly exited the vehicle. Loki sat silently staring at her as she left the van, his lips forming a line as he sighed. He opened the door and stepped outside to join Darcy whose hands were slightly shaking as she locked the van.

* * *

It hadn't been a normal day by any means. First there was that towel, then the near enchantment incident in the van. Which Darcy was still rewinding a thousand times over in her head. Then there was the actual shopping in which Loki made many offensive remarks on Midgardian fashion, one of which was "I'm sure these are a throwback to the Viking days." As he scrutinized a particularly hideous pair of ugg boots. He ended up with a new mostly leather, mostly black wardrobe. He also ended up scaring a poor mother senseless as her little boy (who looked very much like a young Thor) got mysteriously smothered in an entire bottle of ketchup at the café they stopped into. Darcy couldn't decide whether or not she should burst out laughing or scold him for being so uncouth. She ended up expressing a little bit of both to which he merely grinned and held up both hands in defense.

They arrived back at the lab a little after sunset. Darcy headed straight for the little kitchen to make some sort of dinner. Loki paced near the large windows after putting on his new clothes. He was examining the night sky. His face became grave as he peered up towards the stars. They were bright from where they were. He thought he could just barely make out a constellation that the old Norsemen used to name Hellewagen. It had been a long long time since those days, when mortals actually believed in the gods.

He turned away from the window and examined the strange building he was in. So many bizarre technological advances, so many ways he could ruin them. So many ways he could destroy Jane's little life here.

Jane. Had he forgotten the point of being there? Why hadn't he already destroyed the place? Why hadn't he vanished by now? Darcy was certainly no threat; he could take her out as easily as those monitors.

But he hadn't. Why wasn't he fulfilling his motives? He had waited long enough. What could possibly be stopping him?

The only answer crossing his mind was the one answer he refused to give in to. _You do _not_ fancy a mortal. You will _not_ stoop to Thor's pathetic level. You are a prince and a god of Asgard, you do _not_ desire foolish human girls…_

"Loki! Hey, get your Asgardian ass over here, dinner's ready!"

"Thank you Darcy Lewis." _You're supposed to be fighting this, stop being kind. She's nothing but an idiotic girl, silly, imprudent, absurd…_

"It's Darcy. Just Darcy."

"Well you have my gratitude Darcy." _What. Are. You. Doing._

"You okay? You're looking a little crazy, you're like smiling then frowning and then smiling and then super frowning."

"I assure you I am well."

"Ya know what? Let's go eat up on the roof! Jane and I practically have picnics up there. It's easier to think on top of a building for some reason. Plus, after watching you torment that poor kid today, if you're going to throw lemonade in my hair I don't want it anywhere near Jane's space stuff."

He couldn't help but give a faint laugh at her last remark. He gave in. _Alright, you can have this night and this night only. Tomorrow you must resort to your true reason for being here._

"As you wish Darcy." And without a moment's hesitation they were both standing on the roof of the lab gazing out towards the little town and the dark vast New Mexican desert. Darcy put her plate down and squealed.

"Oh my god! Did I just teleport?" her eyes were positively beaming with excitement, like a child on Christmas morning. "That was crazy! I'm going crazy! That was incredible! That was seriously like the coolest thing I have ever done!"

Loki had to admit, this was worth seeing. He hadn't seen someone so impressed by his talents in what seemed like centuries. He felt unbelievably delighted.

He didn't bother trying to suppress a wide smile as he locked his hands behind his back. He watched her bouncing around in absolute exhilaration. At last she controlled herself as she looked up into Loki's eyes and saw they were not the usual coldness as they had been since they met, but instead were practically swimming with, it couldn't be adoration…could it? No, of course it wasn't, but maybe it was something close.

"You are such a show off!" she smiled stabbing her index finger into his chest. The last time she touched him he went on a sudden rampage, but not this time. This time he grabbed her hand and held it in his own. He looked down into her eyes.

"You, Darcy Lewis, are the only person I have met in years, perhaps centuries, who has been impressed by my skills."

"You also said I was the only person ever to find you, how did you put it? 'Physically appealing'. Dude, cut the bullshit, there _must_ be other people out there who think you're awesome."

Loki didn't know what to say to that. He knew that he was actually right, that no one in Asgard found him to be fascinating, he was more the king's pet snake in their eyes, but Darcy was determined to be right. Determined to actually maybe even think him worthy of being a god.

"You know, I gotta be honest with you. When I first met you yesterday I thought you were a real jackass, but now, I don't know. Jane told me to be careful around you, that you're some sort of bad guy or something, but so far all I've seen you do is show some weird anger management issues and splash ketchup on a kid. You're not the villain those books make you out to be are you." She was being so serious, a rare moment in her case. Loki looked at her solemnly as she spoke. He had to ignore whatever was going on inside his head. _This girl was not going to turn him soft like Thor. She was not going to brainwash the great and mischievous Loki. Not possible. She hardly knew him anyway._

But how could he bear himself if he hurt the only person that seemed to, at least so far, see past his bad side?

He returned his gaze towards the starry atmosphere above. He didn't bother responding to her statement. He knew the correct answer was not anywhere near the one she wanted. He was a monster, and for some reason he didn't want her to know it yet.

* * *

**Aaaaand feelings are starting to arise! Believe me guys, there's gonna be some romance coming very _very_ soon, and like any real drama, a big problem. Again let me know what ya think, I'm really really appreciative to all of you who've added this to your favorites, alerts, or sent reviews, you guys are awesome, so many many thanks! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Loki awoke the next morning knowing he had a purpose. He opened his eyes and found himself looking around the room to see if the coast was clear. No sign of Darcy. Good. Where to begin…

He realized he really didn't have a set plan yet on what to do. Everything had happened so quickly in the last few days he'd had hardly any time to think ahead. His initial idea was burning the lab down, destroying the entire building – possibly the town. He had nearly done so just days ago. But at the same time he was fighting with the idea. Darcy was turning out to be, it couldn't be, his friend? No. But all the same she wasn't deserving of death. Not yet. She was the only person feeding his ego, the only person who seemed to not want him dead. She actually liked being in his company, didn't she? _No. she is nothing to you. Let her burn. Let her die. Why would you care? If you let her die her enchantments will stop affecting you. Let her die, do it. Now or never…_

He raised his hand, closed his eyes and began concentrating on reciting the spell in his head. Nearly accomplished…

"Good morning! Or, good afternoon, I guess its way after twelve. Sorry, how long have you been up? I sleep too much."

Loki froze. His eyes flew wide open as he stared at her. Of all the fateful moments, this was just plain ironic. He thought for a second that Odin may have somehow woken her up just in time to unintentionally stop him from killing her. He was literally two words away from letting the place burn.

"Are you waving to me? Dude, you can talk to me. I mean I get that some people are really shy but you don't have to resort to sign language." She was evidently mocking him. Anger was making his veins pulse. He forced himself to calm down.

He sighed. Looks like he was doomed to another day of waiting for the end of her little world. _Tonight. I will destroy this place and the entire dull town after she is in bed. Why haven't I already done so? Loki, you are losing your mind here. Whatever happened to your ability to act quickly?_

"Ms. Darcy. Perhaps I forgot to explain customary procedures for greeting acquaintances on Asgard." He said as he lowered his hand to his side, curling his fingers into a fist behind his back. He couldn't remember ever having told such an atrociously bad lie. Even Darcy examined him skeptically. Why did she torment his ability to think straight all the time?

"I don't remember Thor doing that but whatever, I'm not an alien." She said as she awkwardly smiled and held up one of her hands in a Vulcan salute from Star Trek. He grimaced as she put on a decidedly smug face. He really wasn't in the mood for her humor.

"Hey! Lighten up, I'm not making fun of you. Jeez for being the god of mischief you're _way_ too serious. I thought you were supposed to go around messing with people all the time or something. You're so angsty."

"I assure you I do live up to my reputation Darcy. For instance I'm sure you have heard of a monument called the Sphinx in the African continent Egypt-"

"Country."

"Country, yes, forgive my inadequate Midgardian education." He said sarcastically.

"Yeah, Napoleon blew off it's nose. Everybody knows that. What's so special about it?"

"Napoleon missed." He said smirking. Finally a hint of amusement in his eyes as she laughingly caught on.

"No way! You didn't! That is crazy, why did you do that though?"

"It was constructed in the ancient days of your realm as a tribute to the creature with a lion's body and a human's head. I have always found the creatures to be hideous. I thought blowing off the nose would improve the appearance."

"You are terrible! That's hilarious!" Darcy laughed for nearly a minute. Loki couldn't help but laugh with her. He looked into her eyes and she looked back. They gazed at one another for a moment before one of them finally spoke again.

"Tell me another." She said, her smile beaming up at him.

They both took a seat on the couch, their bodies nearly touching. Darcy's smile never left her face as Loki began another story of his prankster past.

* * *

Loki had been genuinely happy all day. Much like the night before when he impressed her. He was shocked to find he had caught her undivided attention for hours. She just couldn't look away from his eyes. They were so dazzlingly green. As the fading sunlight beamed in through the windows they were even greener. His smile was beautiful, radiant. How could he be a villain? Darcy didn't know much about him, she'd never studied up on the Old Norse mythology stories. But she certainly didn't agree with Jane's version of them.

"And that is why you celebrate April Fool's day." He said coming to a close of his last story.

Crap. She suddenly realized she hadn't heard a single word of this last account. Why did he have to be so damn distracting? _Time to bullshit_ she thought.

"That's so crazy. I wish more people were like you. You're so funny and interesting. In a good way, believe me."

A shadow seemed to fall across his face as she spoke. The spark in his eyes turned glassy and distant again. "As flattering as your words are Darcy, I am afraid you are mistaken. Although I have some entertaining tales, I also have many that are regretful. Crimes I was punished for, accidents that should not have occurred. I have caused much unnecessary tension between realms. And I… should simply not speak of this to you."

"No," her eyes filled with concern as her voice took on a softer, yet more serious tone. He wasn't used to hearing her speak in a non-energetic way. It caught him off guard.

"You're not the bad guy. I won't believe it. Look, maybe I just don't know you that well, and maybe you really are the guy that I should be afraid of. But I don't want to believe it. And I won't hurt you. Every time I look at you I don't know if I'm going to see you smiling at me or frowning at something I can't see."

"What do you mean?"

"Look, I'm a political science major. I've spent hours for school reading about world leaders, personalities, and philosophy. And believe me when I say that there are much worse people out there than you. There are people who are filled with so much hate and cruelty that they'll go out and murder children and it won't even faze them. Loki, I don't know what sort of bad and terrible things you've done, but I don't think you've just waved it off. Even if you think you're the bad guy, I don't think you want to be. Seems like you just want to be appreciated."

Loki actually wasn't sure what to say. Had she really just said all that? His mouth hung open a little in utter disbelief as he attempted to find words. "You…are not the girl I thought you were Darcy Lewis." He was anxious to hear her next words. _This girl, this somehow remarkable girl._ All traces of his hatred and denial vanished as she was spilling out all of her deeply hidden emotions. And in them he could hear his own voice speaking the same thoughts time and time again from his past. She continued, speaking so earnestly.

"I know, I've heard it before. I open my big fat mouth and everybody thinks I'm some crazy person who goes around reciting pop culture references. And then when I say or do something that _doesn't_ sound ridiculous they freak out like they don't know what to do with me. I get how you feel, really. We're like that yellow light on the stoplight, people don't know if they should keep going or stop. You and I are undervalued. I know I shouldn't say it because Jane is really my friend but sometimes she and Erik look at me like I'm not fit to scrape their shoes. Just because I'm not some super genius astrophysicist or whatever. I try to ignore it but it's hard when they look at you in disbelief when you say something brainy. You and me Loki, we're the same. We're both trying to prove we're not just waiting for something. We're both-"

She didn't get to finish her rambling train of thought as suddenly Loki leaned in slightly startling her, and kissed her. She closed her eyes as his hand slowly raised to cup her cheek. She could feel her heart racing again as their lips intertwined. It was all so much. She had kissed a few guys before but they were nothing like this. Loki was a god after all. She felt like she'd never been kissed before, certainly not like this. His lips were moist and so smooth and it was as if he had already traced every angle of her mouth. How long had they been kissing, seconds, minutes, days? It all felt like a beautiful daydream. The sunlight was playing with her hair as the sun was going down, filling the lab with a fiery red glow.

At last they broke apart, both of their lips still slightly agape as they gazed wide eyed at each other waiting for whatever would come next. Darcy couldn't hide her slight pant for air as they leaned back an inch. _Did that really just happen? _

They both were speechless for a moment as they searched each other's eyes. It was Darcy's turn to act on an impulse. She nearly flew at him. Both her hands tangling his black hair. She knocked him backwards so they were lying together on the couch. His hands crept up her back as she pressed her body against his. Their embrace was rougher than the first kiss but still just as perfect. The sun was sinking deeper and deeper behind the mountains as their lips grew more and more impatient for the next kiss. She straddled her legs bringing her knees to fold up beside his hips. She could feel he was hard beneath her but she knew better than to go that far too soon. She was going to find out his other best qualities first before the god of mischief made his finest entrance.

As they lay there together perfectly in each other's grasp, Loki realized his plan of destroying the lab was certainly not going to happen that night. Not while she was there laying with him.

* * *

**So what did you think of my passionate ending there ;) I enjoyed myself a little too much while writing that haha. So I realize that things seem to be moving pretty quickly in their relationship but keep in mind they've hardly left each other's sight since they met. Also fear not! I have already basically laid out the entire storyline in my head so it has a definite ending prepared. I hope you will all like it. And again, review if you like it thus far! If you are craving for more physical fluff definitely let me know! You are my encouragement for continuing! Thank you to all who are reading :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Loki awoke on the floor beside the couch in the middle of the night next to Darcy who was fast asleep beside him. He turned his head to the side and there resting peacefully beside him was the strange girl. Her head was turned towards his and one of her arms was extended out towards his body. He could hear her faint breathing as she dreamt of something evidently pleasant. It took him a long moment to reluctantly turn his glued eyes away from her angelic grin.

At last he stood up and lightly stepped towards the large window facing the town's main street. He could see scaffolding and workmen's equipment lining the sidewalk. He looked around at the mess he had made just days ago when the Destroyer had invaded. _How many humans were killed that day… _

He was relieved from his troubled thoughts when he heard a soft rustling sound coming up behind him.

"Loki." Darcy said as she reached for his arm. She looked up at him with concern but his eyes never strayed from the disaster outside.

"What's wrong? You can tell me."

"You should sleep in a proper bed. Go, I assure you I am well."

"No. You're not. You're making that frowny face again. I wish you would tell me-"

"It is none of your concern." He spat, suddenly bitter again. Her eyes widened as she looked upon him. She froze. At last he turned away from his mess to gaze down at her. His expression became much gentler as he realized he had frightened her.

"Forgive me Darcy. Please go to bed. If you would like I will follow suit behind you in a few minutes."

"Don't take too long." She said as she raised her feet to give him a timid kiss on the cheek. He watched as she walked tiredly towards a door down the hall.

Once she was out of sight he began pacing furiously. His mind felt like it was going to explode. He had never felt so many mixed feelings at once before. Affection, bitterness, adoration, hatred, compassion, loathing, desire, spite, etc. He wanted to scream, he wanted to engulf the entire country in flames, he wanted to hurt Jane Foster and murder Thor, and then he wanted to kiss Darcy Lewis a thousand more times.

Every wicked idea swam through his head, images of death, murder scenarios, excuses, lies, desires. And then there was another side to him that he was so sickeningly unfamiliar with. He couldn't hurt Darcy. He literally could not. But she was an unintended obstacle, and he had to get out quickly. But, he didn't want to. _Why did she affect him so much? _

At last his frustration peaked and rather than logically analyzing his own emotions and intentions he threw his flaming anger towards one of the scaffolded buildings on the street outside and watched as his magic engulfed the town's building in an enormous blazing inferno. It may not have been the lab but at least it was a start.

He watched for several minutes as it burned to the ground and then he quickly extinguished all traces of the fire. With a wave of his hands the smoke evaporated into the air and he turned abruptly towards the bedroom door down the hall just as a siren began to sound somewhere in the distance.

* * *

"You know, I've gotta admit, if someone had told me a month ago that I was going to sleep with a god I would've taken them straight to the psych ward." Darcy said as she dressed the next day.

Loki smirked as he sat upright in the bed. He loved how she referred to him as a god. After being surrounded by other gods and goddesses for so long hearing it from a human who was actually impressed by the fact made him feel like he was magnificent.

"And, were you satisfied with what happened last night?" he asked, just wanting to hear more praise mainly. And also because he needed a distraction from dreamily watching her comb her tousled brown hair.

Just as he finished speaking Darcy slammed her hairbrush on the bathroom counter and turned around fiercely to give him a wicked grin. "Did you _really_ just ask that? That was, no joke, the most incredible night of my life." She began walking towards him, her blue eyes seemed to see right through his clothes. "I want to know what else you can do."

Loki couldn't deny the intense desire he felt as she approached him. He hated how badly he wanted her, all of her, but it was becoming harder and harder to ignore. She was enthralling, physically, psychologically, even her foreign vernacular intrigued him. When he was near her his mind was full of amusement, pleasure, and ravenous desire. But when she left his sight his ability to think stoically returned and his initial bitter ideas and feelings returned. _Why did she hold such a powerful possessiveness over him? _

"Darcy," he began slowly as she returned to the mirror in the bathroom, "Do you possess some sort of enchantment that is making you irresistible to me? Because I can not fathom why I would ever feel captivated by someone of your born standing." He paused before finishing, realizing his words were weightless coming from a Jotun born. But the god in him was finding it all so hard to say, "But I have grown curiously fond of you."

He cast his eyes down to observe the pattern of the disheveled bedspread. He missed the affectionate grin on her face as she approached him again. She sat on the bed beside him and reached out her hand to softly lift his face. He quickly looked up into her storm blue eyes impatiently waiting for her to say something back.

"Loki, we've only been together like that for, like, a day. We don't have to rush to say everything." She said giving him a sweet smile. "And I'm not a witch, or an enchantress, or Merlin if that's what you were thinking. You can check through all my stuff but you definitely will not find any love potions."

She stood beside the bed as she put on a bright blue shirt, waving her hair back behind her shoulders. Loki watched her, attempting to turn his eyes away from her innocent face. _How can I deserve this? A Jotun, a monster, being the prize of her guiltless affections. _But there she was, dressing in front of him after a long night of impulsive actions and lustful proximity.

"Hey, how about we go terrorize the town. I'm so tired of being stuck in this sciencey nerd palace you have no idea. Besides, I want to go show you off to a bunch of people I don't know." She said smiling as she took his hand in her own. He stood up and obediently walked behind her towards the outside dry air. They hadn't been walking too far down the street when Darcy suddenly gasped. A few shops down the main street stood a great black pile of rubble. It seemed as if the entire town was circling around trying to figure out what had happened. Darcy gave Loki a shocked look to which he merely said "shall we go discover what happened?"

She nodded and grabbed his hand. In the crowd there were voices murmuring a thousand words of equally puzzled remarks. The firefighters apparently had come too late in the night, and everything was lost by the time they arrived. Darcy looked on in shock, realizing that if the fire had spread she could have been dead. The lab was only half a block away, if that.

"This is so insane! That fire breathing transformer came to town and nearly wrecked the building, but even it didn't knock it totally to the ground."

"There were a lot of workmen's equipment; accidents are bound to happen in situations such as these." Loki replied, attempting to ease her utter disbelief.

"It could have been me, and you." She said weakly as her eyes stared out glassy eyed into the mess.

"But it was not you. You, Darcy Lewis, are safe here at my side. Come, we should turn away from all this devastation."

They walked across the street to the parallel sidewalk. Darcy was suddenly filled with relief as she saw that directly across from the rubble was the town's little pet store. It was still perfectly in tact, and all the animals inside.

Loki watched as she walked on in silence. _How was it that she hadn't yet blamed him? Or had_ _the idea already crossed her mind but she feared an accusation?_

He began to worry actually as to whether or not she had considered him a possible theory. He didn't want her to know it was his doing, especially that he did it because of his growing weakness for her. _Soon I'll be crawling on my hands and knees like Thor over her. Why didn't I just destroy the entire planet in the first place, before I had to endure meeting her, wanting her. Why must I want her? This is not a fate fit for a prince. Better yet a king._

But it was too late. Loki had discovered he had an even greater weakness than even his Jotun blood. He had feelings he could no longer shake even if he wanted to, which he did want to.

He snapped out of his inner ramblings and emotional chaos only to step back onto the little sidewalk. Darcy stood ahead of him. She put a tiny thin box in her purse as she came near him.

"That was Jane on the phone. She says she's coming back here tomorrow."

_Shit._

Loki's eyes drifted back towards the lab, then to the burned rubble across the street, until finally they darted back to Darcy, who stood before him with her beautiful blue eyes.

* * *

**Okay so I have to admit I'm not overly fond of this chapter, however it was very necessary in order to write the next one. I'm really getting detailed on their inner feelings and all that psych stuff. I personally believe in order to express character's feelings you have to not only write what they're _doing_ externally but also what they're _thinking_ internally. Everybody's complex like that :) Anyway, I'm rambling haha. I've read every review you've submitted and you guys are all being so incredibly nice, it's the best encouragement! I'm extremely grateful to all of you who are sticking with this crazy (and believe me, getting crazier) story and enjoying it, you guys are awesome, so, much love! Keep up the great feedback! I love hearing what you think :)**


	6. Chapter 6

"Okay, so, Jane sort of hates you, so you've got to behave when she gets here." Darcy said to Loki as they waited for Jane to arrive. She would be at the lab any minute now and Darcy was making one last check around the place to make sure she'd picked up everything and taken out the trash. Loki and Darcy hadn't trashed the place, but they also hadn't left the rooms spotless by any means. For instance the pillows from their night by the couch were still on the floor and Darcy hadn't bothered rinsing out any dishes. _Well, she'd been preoccupied!_

Loki watched as she ran around making sure everything was in perfect order. "Will she honestly care that much if one tiny thing is misplaced?" he asked, her preciseness was borderline neurotic to him.

"I just want her to think I'm responsible. After all I'm getting college credit for helping her and Erik out and when the only order given is 'keep the place clean,' well, I kind of have to follow directions. Even though she isn't a neat freak by any means. I just like making a good impression. Oh! And Loki, try not to do any magic. And not because she'll freak out but because you really don't want to be bombarded with a billion scientific questions about how exactly you're doing it."

Loki merely smirked at her nervousness. She was evidently worried about Jane and him meeting face to face. And she really didn't want to have to play the mediator. Loki on the other hand was in a very cheerful mood, and it suited him strangely. _What was he so damn excited about?_

"I assume physical contact is also out of the question." He said it more as a statement than a question. Darcy looked over at him from across the mini-kitchen; she noticed his eyes gleaming with some sort of unknown hidden secret.

"Uh, definitely no kissing. But…" her voice became much lighter as a hint of devilishness swept her face, "if we're sitting at a table there's a few things we can do out of sight." Finally she had worked her way back to her normal, non-stressed self. _Stop freaking out, it'll all work out. They probably won't kill each other…and you have your tazer just in case they show signs of murdering each other._

"I will keep that in mind Darcy." he said in his usual (sensual) velvety voice. Her something-deep-down tingled slightly as he said her name. _God, will that ever get old?_

She could feel her pulse rushing again, this time from both him and her nerves.

"Why do you have to be so freaking sexy all the time? It's really distracting." Their eyes were glued as they approached each other. Finally her lab-check was over and she had some minutes to breathe. Not that his presence made her feel any more at ease.

He was just about to retort with something witty when the back door opened.

"Jane!" Darcy rushed towards her friend and they hugged in the doorway like girls do.

"Darcy, I'm glad to see the lab is in good shape. I saw there was a fire down the road, how did that-" she stopped talking immediately as her eyes shot at Loki across the room. Jane began walking towards him, like a mother about to scold a small child.

"I don't suppose you had anything to do with it, god of mischief." She crossed her arms. She remembered Thor and Sif and the warriors three talking about "stopping Loki" that day when the whole town was nearly knocked to the ground. She wasn't about to forgive. No way.

Jane hadn't been back for one whole minute and already Darcy felt she had to pipe in as peacekeeper. She stood between them, "woah, hey! Before you guys start pointing fingers and name calling and shit I would like to say something. Loki didn't burn down that building, he was sleeping. I watched it burn but he didn't."

Loki shot Darcy a very quick baffled look but he retained his straight countenance within a second. Jane didn't notice their quiet exchanging looks. Loki held back a pleased smirk. _Darcy is lying to defend me._ _She never saw the fire. She's as clueless as Jane. She actually makes for a convincing liar…_

"I'll believe you Darcy. But I still don't trust _you_," Jane spat at him, she absolutely detested him.

"Jane, seriously calm down. He hasn't done anything. He's not that bad. We've had a lot of fun the past few days, and actually Loki is-"

Darcy gasped suddenly as a warm hand slid its way down her back from the base of her neck. She could feel a familiar pressure as lips traced her cheek. Her eyes widened in horror as for a moment she thought Jane could see what was happening. But when she looked through her peripheral vision there was no one to be seen behind her. The true Loki was still standing beside her, still a straight, cold face. _Now way, he duplicated himself and made the other one vanish…this is so trippy._ She wanted to sink back into other-Loki's embrace but Jane was standing directly in front of her, and she thought it would be too weird for Loki to watch himself please her. Plus it would be a little weird if all of a sudden she began bending backwards without falling.

"What is it?" Jane asked, suddenly very confused. _Think up an excuse quick…_

"What?" _not too convincing this time_.

"You just gasped, are you okay?" Jane was positively confused. _Think think think..._

"Oh, yeah, no I'm fine. It's just there were two cats getting it on outside the window."

A fine lie. Jane would be caught dead to actually turn around and behold something like that. And sure enough Jane's face blushed and her eyes diverted towards just about everything in the room but the window behind her. Darcy glanced sideways at Loki who was trying extremely hard not to smile. His face showed all signs of absolute amusement. He was enjoying this too much. _Of the two women, he had definitely gotten the better deal._ _How could Thor be so sensitive to this timid little mouse?_ He remembered the days when Thor had been courting Sif, and although Loki was jealous it seemed they were an ideal match. But this was just laughable to him.

He shot his eyes again towards Darcy who was still trying with very great success at keeping a straight face as his duplicate continued to caress her. Darcy may be ridiculous sometimes and too trusting of him but she was much more fearless than Jane. Jane, like mostly all women he'd met, was afraid of him, intimidated, angry. Darcy was laid back, relaxed with him, and completely uncompromising. She was stronger than Jane could ever be, super-scientist or not. At least that's how he viewed them.

"Jane, I know he's the god of mischief and lies but that's different from a god of evil!" Darcy said, forcing herself to think straight. _Damn, how could he just stand there blankly? Could both of him feel what he was doing to her?_

Jane sighed. This was really going to be harder than she thought. "Darcy, I'm sure you've had a fun time with him and all, I believe you, I do. But I also have not forgotten that he's the reason this town was almost burnt to the ground."

"Why are you on about this again Jane? I already told you he didn't-"

"I'm not talking about the one building Darcy, I'm talking about the robot monster that nearly killed everyone."

All at once the invisible cuddling stopped. Darcy was speechless. Her mouth hung open a little as she attempted to find the right words. She looked over at Loki who was fully glaring now at Jane. Anger boiling again. His hands closed into fists at his side as he tried to control himself. _Damn that little nuisance._ He had managed to keep that little tidbit of information locked up from Darcy till now.

"Oh Darcy _really_? Did you honestly not know that was all Loki's doing?" Jane's voice had become gentler as she could see Darcy's horrorstruck face. It was too much to take in…

"I…I, no one told me who was behind all of that…Thor never said a word about what was going on to me. He explained everything to you. I was left out." Darcy wasn't sure what she was feeling. She was shocked, and definitely angry. But she was also very hurt and for the first time since she met Loki she felt _truly_ frightened of him. Her boyfriend (were they ever really together?) had almost killed her once and all along she didn't even know it was him. All the kind words they had come to exchange, the laughter, the _kissing_. Jane kept talking but Darcy didn't hear any of it. She couldn't even look at Loki now. She was pissed. _Why hadn't anyone bothered to explain anything to her?_ She should have known, how did she not put the pieces together before now? She realized now she had been blinded by a beautiful marble statue, a god. _The god of fucking lies. _How could she have been so foolish, so stupid?

"Darcy?" Jane stepped forward perhaps to hug her but Darcy stepped back. Her eyes were glued to the floor. She didn't want Jane to see her watered eyes, and she especially didn't want Loki to watch her transform into a weakling. She hated herself for acting so childish.

"Everything, all of it was just a lie. Just tiny little lies one after another to make me like you. You don't care about me at all. It was your plan all along to hurt me. Jane was right, and I was stupid. You're a cruel, terrible god. And I hate myself for believing you." Jane held out a hand to her but Darcy rushed to the door.

"I just need to be alone." She said as she burst the front door open and stepped outside onto the hot cement sidewalk. She wasn't sure where she was going, or why she was being so theatrical and melodramatic, she usually hated girls like that. But she had to get away to think. _Really think_. And anywhere but the lab sounded pretty damn perfect. Inside the lab tempers were skyrocketing without her.

"Look at what you've done you loathsome gnat." Loki growled, his rage was maddening. Surprisingly Jane didn't back down. Even though she knew he could kill her instantly, remorselessly.

"You shouldn't have led her on like that! I don't know what you two have been up to and I honestly don't want to know, but seeing her reaction? I think you've done quite enough damage here. You really should go, you've definitely overstayed your welcome."

"Oh have I?" his voice was pure venom. "I suppose if Thor were here you would welcome him with open arms. You would be reeking of pathetic love. Of course you would. Everyone always worshiped him, even when he was at his utmost useless. Even when my intentions were for good, I was shadowed by his ever alarming greatness. There are never two great heroes in the stories Jane Foster, you've heard the tales. The other must be doomed to be the villain, the monster. You may choose to believe me or not, but I am telling you the truth now. I never intended to hurt that silly girl."

"What?" Jane was very confused now. Putting her extreme frustration aside, she was astonished and impatient for an explanation. Why would he be so terrible to her, but the exact opposite to Darcy? Darcy seemed almost heartbroken…

No. no way…

Jane was about to pry when in an instant Loki vanished from sight. She looked around wildly but he had used magic to disappear completely.

Loki sent his doubles all over town to find Darcy. By now she could be anywhere, he had watched her nearly run from the lab. He realized he was losing yet another chance to destroy Jane and her silly world but for that same uninvited feeling he'd been experiencing since days ago, there was a more important matter to finish first. He couldn't afford to lose the one person who cared about him, even if he had to somehow (magically?) win her back.

* * *

**So that was _intense_! It's about time we see Loki get seriously mad. I know it just got super unhappy but the story will continue! How will Loki get her back? Despite the fact that the end of this chapter is probably not what you guys want to read, it is however very exciting to write haha dramatic scenes are the best to think up. Anyway, I hope you all are still liking this even though it just hit a rocky turn, but these two were doomed from the beginning to go through low points. Again I have to thank all of you for submitting the most kind and warmhearted reviews! It's such a joy to know you're all sticking with me :)**


	7. Chapter 7

"I'll have my usual, no, actually, could you add an extra shot of espresso?" Darcy had walked to the best café in town. She and Jane had spent many afternoons there so she wasn't exactly hiding but at least it wasn't the lab. She eyed a little table in the back of the café away from the windows.

She sat there, eyeing the little water droplets that were forming on the side of her cup. She traced her fingers along it to make the shape of smiley face. She looked around the little café. Everyone was so normal. They were talking about business, and school, and kids. She had spent the last few days discussing Asgard, and teleporting, and reindeer helmets. _Well, you knew it wouldn't last. _You_ are crazy Darcy, not your life. It's back to political science and filing papers and watching Jane be brilliant._ _No more aliens for you._

She hadn't been sitting down for five whole minutes when suddenly a familiar face was peering down at her. She gasped, _why?_

"Ms. Lewis, you must listen to me. Jane would have you believe-"

"The truth? Look, I know you're a pro-liar but seriously? Stop with the mind tricks! You've been playing with my head and my feelings all this time. Why should I trust you now?"

Loki sighed. He knew this was going to be difficult. Resolving his schemes always was the hard part. Only usually his tricks didn't involve people's actual feelings. He usually just liked to disrupt norms a little, or he used his powers to get what he wanted. He was getting worse and worse. He decided to step cautiously around the subject. To think he, a god, could be afraid of a silly mortal girl's wild distress.

"Darcy, allow me to explain." He said pausing to check around their table to make sure no one would overhear. Thankfully everyone seemed glued to the TV on a far counter. He continued. "What happened, what I did, all of that was caused by intense vexation. You must understand I had no personal connection to your planet. I had no previous dealings with your people, at least none that I saw myself unable to forgo. The only reason I sent The Destroyer here was because I intended to finish off my pathetic excuse for a brother. My intention was never to hurt anyone else. You must understand my rash decision. I was a king, the throne was mine, and I wanted to ensure that the circumstances would not change. The only answer was to do what I did." _Smooth, very smooth._

Darcy seemed to buy his calm disclosure. It wasn't even _all_ a lie! Even better. He was improving! Although the line about 'not intending to hurt anyone else' wasn't _exactly_ true, at the time he really could've cared less… He honestly still could care less. Except for Darcy who had shown compassion to him, in her own stubborn way. But then they were both equally stubborn. For instance, he was not going to lose her. Even if it took a hundred more lies to win back her trust. He needed this earthly ally, this beautiful girl who alone would side with him. He had seen it briefly for a few days, and there was no going back.

Darcy on the other hand wasn't as willing to just let the matter go. However she tried to understand his point of view. A part of her could see where he was coming from, in wanting a final and definite end, to ensure his position as king, ya da ya da. But to slaughter Thor? Totally not the best way to do that. His own brother, it seemed completely psychopathic. No, it _was_ psychopathic. _What is wrong with him? _

"So, you would let hundreds of people die just to kill your brother? Is that what I'm hearing? Dude, you have a problem."

Loki couldn't hide his irritation, he was so sick of people shooting him down. "Sometimes sacrifices must be made in order to ensure a triumphant end."

"No! No, no no! _Killing_ your brother is not triumphant! Where do you get these terrible ideas? Look, let me put it another way: do you have any idea what my mother would say if she found out I'd kissed a murderer?"

Loki blinked; he honestly had never looked at himself in that way before, as a murderer. But in the ancient days it was honorable to fight to the death…so despite her negative word choice it could be taken as a compliment. "I am not acquainted with your mother but perhaps she would feel honored to know her daughter had…taken affection…towards a fearless and valiant god."

Darcy couldn't help but laugh. She felt like she was half hysterical, what was their conversation digressing into? Oh there really was something very wrong with him. Loki watched on extremely puzzled. He was even being honest with her too.

"You are laughing at me again Darcy." he said in a voice that made her instantly stop smiling.

"No, it's just, never mind. Okay, back to the point we had before. Like I was saying, killing your brother is not okay."

"Thor is not my brother." It was now Darcy's turn to be confused.

"Then why do you keep calling him 'brother'?"

"I was adopted as an infant. The All-Father took me to Asgard to be raised as his own son. Thor and I were both raised to be kings. I had the intelligence, Thor had none. We were both powerful; he had physical strength though I possessed magic. But he always overshadowed me, even when I was right and he was not. Thor was always the one destined to be king because he had the true blood of Odin. I meant nothing in the end. I was only raised to become a peace treaty. So do not tell me Darcy Lewis that my motives are unjust. My entire existence has been unjust. I only ever wanted to be noticed."

"Yeah, you said that before, you're pretty stuck on it, but I didn't know you were adopted. So, do you know who they were?"

"My real parents? I met my father." His eyes grew cold and distant. Darcy could sense whatever memory he was looking at wasn't pleasant. It only made her more and more curious. But she didn't pry, he was already too worked up, and way too super angsty. She needed to relieve some of this stifling tension before she got sucked into his mental wasteland of sorrows.

She reached across the little table and put her hand upon his. "Hey, you know, none of this matters. Let's talk about something else."

His eyes slowly turned back towards her. _This girl…_

"So, as I was saying earlier. No more evil transformers, definitely no more killing, and pleeeeease no more angst. Capiche?"

Loki responded with something but Darcy's attention was suddenly taken elsewhere. _Typical_ he thought. _I finally reveal an ounce of truth and she turns away._

He twisted around in his chair to see what she was so entranced with.

_Oh._

Now he understood why everyone in the little café was so enamored by the television screen. It was showing a news station reporting chaos in Harlem. Some lady with big hair was speaking:

"_There appears to be two giant man-like creatures attacking in Harlem. We've seen reportings of the green superhuman, nicknamed The Hulk, for some days now, but this is the first time we've had sightings of this second superhuman. The Hulk appears to be, however, the only threat powerful enough to put an end to the "Abomination." America has seen quite a lot of strange things in the past few decades, but The Hulk is something new entirely, and the New York City police fear there may be nothing that can stop his unimaginable strength…"_

Darcy's mouth hung open in absolute disbelief. She was hardly blinking. Everyone in the café was speechless.

When the news station started replaying the same footage over again, Darcy turned to Loki with a hint of panic in her eyes.

"Did you know about this?" she asked, but it sounded more like an accusation.

"I swear to you, I had no knowledge of this beast until just now." he said, pretending to be as apprehensive as she was. Darcy evidently believed him and they both diverted their full attention back to the screen. Everyone in the café was awestruck, and fearful. Someone barged out the door to make a frantic phone call. The man behind the counter turned up the volume on the TV.

Loki was the only one in the little café who wasn't frightened one bit. Instead he smirked, with a definite mischievous gleam in his eyes. He continued to watch as the incredible beast wrecked havoc. _Oh, you just might be _very_ useful…_

* * *

**Oh no! Loki just discovered the incredibleness that is The Hulk! And he seems to be putting the image in the back of his mind to save for a very rainy day *cough* And it seems he and Darcy have sort of made up! As you can probably tell I'm not trying to break the main Marvel movies storyline. I try to stay canon as much as possible (I know, I know Darcy x Loki isn't canon, but it's also NOT canon ;) So I hope you all like this little chapter! It was surprisingly the most difficult to write so far, at least until the end. Loki's breaking hearts and Banner's breaking Harlem, so there ya go! Haha anyway, as always I have to say thank you to all who are reading and reviewing! You are all fantastic, and I hope you will like the twists that are coming soon :)**


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